Biennale Danza 2026: a tribute to Frederick Wiseman

A series of films on dance (La Danse, Ballet, Crazy Horse) directed by the unmistakable hand of one of cinema's masters, Frederick Wiseman, the winner of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2014 Venice Film Festival and who passed away last February, is featured at Ca’ Giustinian, Venice. This is a tribute to the filmmaker who changed the history of documentary, listening to all those places that shape human social life, from institutions as centers of power and decision-making to places of care and culture. Places that are never seen, as in the case of dance, only from a purely artistic perspective, amidst rehearsals, tours, makeup, and costumes, but are explored in their complexity, right down to the mechanisms and mechanisms that govern its life, such as administrative aspects, financing, fundraising, and organization. This is true whether he's taking on one of the world's greatest classical dance companies, the Paris Opera Ballet in La Danse (July 27, 5 pm), or the American Ballet Theatre of New York in Ballet (July 29, 5 pm), or wandering the world's most famous cabaret venue for Crazy Horse (July 30, 5:00 pm).

The cycle is rounded out by another important film: State of Darkness: Part Four (July 28, 6 pm), directed by Elliot Caplan, based on the rehearsals that Molissa Fenley, author of the eponymous solo, conducted with a great performer like Cassandra Trenary. A passing of the baton between generations and a historical document that lays bare every nuance in the construction of the piece, which Biennale audiences will also see live on stage at the 20th International Festival of Contemporary Dance on July 30 and 31.

Access upon free reservation:
La Danse →
State of Darkness: Part Four →
Ballet →
Crazy Horse →